14th Devotion on Marriage

This is it. The devotion that sparks controversy. The passage that is often cut short and cut off to mean something totally different than was intended. So let us bodly go into it, and with the
Spirit's help discern the real meaning of it. "You wives must submit to your husbands leadership in the same way you submit to the Lord." vs 22. There it is. That word that causes many to choke! Submit. The women's movement placed images of cringing, fearful women reduced to near slave status at the sound of this word. And true, even from some pulpits in the past it has been preached that way, because they have stopped here and not continued with the passage. (Never take a verse out of it's context! The Bible was not designed to be read that way!) The Truth is that to submit is a choice. A freewill thing. No one takes your rights, you relinquish them, with the option to draw them back. To submit as used here simply means "yield." Now yielding is sometimes hard, because we get so caught up in ourselves. But yielding is not a dirty word. If you have not yielded to Christ, you have not made him Lord of your life and are not serving Him. If you have not yielded to your husband, you have stripped him of his authority and his responsibility.

"For a man is in charge of his wife in the same way Christ is in charge of his body the church. (He gave his very life to take care of it and be its Savior!) Uhm-hum, this is where it gets hard for the man. Where his portion in this is much more of a "burden" than mere submission. Christ loved his church (the saints) so much he died for us. Suffered so we would not suffer. Christ would never direct the body of believers toward anything that was not for their ulitmate good. Christ wants us to be in a close relationship with Him. Sharing our burdens and asking our questions. For a man to strive to live up to this standard in loving and caring for his wife is noble......and his duty. If he fails at his duty he answers to Christ. If you fail at yours, you answer to the Lord. We each have our assignment so to speak. We are each accoutable to the other and to Jesus for how well we honor that assignment.

More on the wife's role: ""So you wives must willingly obey your husbands in everything, just as the church obeys Christ." vs.24 "...the wife must see to it that she deeplyrespects her husband - obeying, praising and honoring him." vs.33 Willingly - there is that choice again. Do you respect your husband? Look for things to admire in him. For every negitive thought of him, think and dwell and come up with a positive or two. Once discussion and imput has ceased and he has decided something, stick to it. Back him up all the way. If your gut tells you he has chosen wrongly, take it to God and let Him work to guide hubby and change his mind, his direction. In public and to others, if you don't have something good to say about hubby, keep your mouth shut. Words are powerful. God spoke the universe into existence! (Now this does not mean not to seek help if there are issues bigger than the two of you, i.e. alcoholism, abuse, gambling, adultery.) Show you appreciation for all the good he does. Blab about that to everyone! Praise and thank God too! Honor him. God gave him his position. You honor him, you honor God. Honor him. You chose him didn't you? You honor him, you honor yourself.

Now for the deep side of the husbands role in this. "And you husbands, show the same kind of love to your wives as Christ showed to the church when he died for her,...that is how husbands should treat their wives, loving them as parts of themselves." Chances are, even when you feel like he is being hard or stubborn, he is trying in some way to protect you, to shield you. Some husbands do this better than others. Just as some of us yield better than others. Pray for him. Do your part to the best you can with God's help, and see if hubby does not begin to live his role better. Some men are more mature spiritually and will fulfill their role very well. Some are still babes in this area and need time to grow into what Christ would have them to be. Surely, this should work better with a saved spouse. Someone under Christ's Lordship. But from my own experience I can tell you that it can work and does make a marriage better and richer even with an unsaved spouse! Thank God he opened my eyes to how far the worldview had taken me from His own! He saved my marriage and gave me a deeper, better love for my spouse than I had ever known before! And just last March we celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary as a testiment to God's way. It is always best, God's way. And even one truly seeking it makes a difference!

I remind you again that quotes are from The Living Bible.
God bless you!